by Pat Severin

Do you think that heaven’s a place far away,
High up in the clouds, where as angels, we’ll stay
With all the believers, in gowns of pure white,
Singing praises to God, all day and all night?

Do you think we’ll have halos that shine overhead
And sleep on a cloud as our own featherbed?
Do you think we’ll be able to push back the clouds
And watch all the people, will that be allowed?

But it’s probably better we don’t watch that scene
For I’m sure we will wish that we could intervene.
They’re always so busy with what doesn’t matter.
It’s so unimportant, most times useless chatter.

They don’t seem to care about just what is needful,
Involved with themselves, so selfish, these people.
We’d wish we could tell them that God sent His Son
Who died and arose and eternity won.

That here in this place, God will answer their questions
They’ll listen and learn from all of His lessons.
They’ll find out that heaven’s much more than a place,
It’s the whole and completeness of God’s blessed face.

It’s His being present and tangibly there,
Forever His love, His touch, and His care.
No pain and no sorrow, no hurt and no tears,
No time to be measured in days, months, or years.

There’s one thing that’s needed to experience this “place,”
That’s a heart that believes God gave us His grace
And sent His Son, Jesus, who died and then rose
That makes heaven sure, you don’t have to suppose.

The place we call heaven may not be a place
But instead our receiving God’s love and grace.
When this life is ended and with Him we dwell,
Now that will be heaven, far as I can tell.

Pat Severin is a retired Christian school teacher who has served her Lord in many ways. These include school, church and teen ministry and her current personal ministry, creating cards that include her original poems of encouragement. These she sends out weekly to those going through difficult medical issues. She contributes regularly to her online blog, Poetically Speaking, which she began in 2008, and has self-published a number of poetry collections.